I arrived at Der Kids Geology Museum and Rock Show early. Deming New Mexico was rising and shining, and the two shop cats, Dusty and Catoo were getting their morning time out in the yard, hunting grasshoppers and acting feline, which they are very, very good at. The tables at the rock shop were loaded up with Der Kids product, Thunder eggs of beautiful and exotic type mined directly from the earth south of Deming by none other than Der Kid and Krew. The cutting and polishing of the thunder egg specimens also takes place on premises, and a visit to the Deming Geolapidary museum is always fun. Rocking to the max.

On this particular day (And I do remember it well) Der Kid handed me a music CD with a somewhat serious expression, and said to check it out, I might like it. He said it was not too much like Pink Floyd, but interesting. One of Der Kids benchmarks for music is Pink Floyd -- rating most other bands by their similarity (Or Not) to that band, and some others.

For the record, Der Kid gained his nickname by being a consultant to certain German interests concerning a mutual love of lithophysae (Thunder eggs). Earlier in his life he had been nicknamed The Geode Kid (www.zianet.com/GEODEKID/whatarel.htm) because of his unceasing quest for the elusive gem agates created millions of years ago as a product of rare volcanic events. The Geode Kid, aka Paul Colburn, is now 72, and his German associates in geology shortened the monicker to Der Kid, and it stuck.

The CD he gave me was called "Road Rage" by the band Anfo Merc. I told Der Kid I thought Anfo might be a type of explosive, and he said yes, and so was the music!

He was right. I played the CD later that day, and found it full of political-slash with societal thrash and hard-rock get-down kick ass guitar work. I initially got hung up on the song "Coptagon", and played it for a several hours straight, reading the lyrics and going Wow. It is world class rock 'n roll, with some techno texture experimentation. I likes it.

Other songs on the CD (Anger Management, Marching Rock Band, More) possess both freshness and a bright metallic power. Strewn throughout the music are well calculated tastes of dissonance ala Janes Addiction, and more real wild guitar work; the entire CD seems niche worthy, but its new, and still growing. The fact that the music is good, and without single category, is interesting too.

My first impression of the CD was that this artist (Anthony Mercogliano) has been developing his music for a while. No matter the genre or type, when a musician has spent decades doing their thing, it is easy to hear. It is a refinement that can only come from familiarity with ones equipment that takes years to develop. Anthony has had that time, and done good things. Road Rage is 24 songs long, and includes a spoken word or two (The Other Roswell Incident, Out Of Gas, other), and lyrics in profusion, stories all.

One major draw of this CD for me was the poetry underlying the music itself, the song lyrics. The anger is stark and unmistakable, no doubt, but refreshing, not overpowering. One must listen. And if one listens, one may hear. This CD is not for children, and probably not their mommys either. If you are a mature entity with the brain capacity to be concerned about the way the world has fallen to dramatic predators and government perception managers in the last few decades, this CD is for you, do not miss out! Find. Listen. Read.

Anthony Mercogliano came from a family of musicians and artists, and has been a nonstop musician since childhood. His parents were both heavily involved in the early Rock'n Roll industry, and Anthony received early exposure and deep training in musical instrumentation and vocal art. He is also adept at electronics of various types, including lots of vintage equipment, which definitely gives him an edge when it comes to producing sound variation.

The name Anfo Merc is actually a nickname in itself. Anthony experienced childhood and early adulthood in a city situation, which is to say, Washington DC and environs. It was there Anthony became known as Anfo Merc during his high school years, because of its similarity to his given name. Anthonys early exposure to music, and constant performing for years, along with influences diverse, are crystallizing nicely here on Earth, a slow reflection of light which may be a little brighter than most, or at least in different colors.

After communicating with the artist I discovered that he has been able to use his music as a way to vent a lot of anger, so that it is not an every day aspect of his personality, but more an aspect of the muse. The outspokenness is tempered with other things too: intelligence, defiance, courage...a lot of which is notably missing among the mass in this US military society of chemical behavior modification, and the super-surveillance police state of 2008.

Things like Road Rage by Anfo Merc are right on time. Check it out.



You can visit Anfo Merc at myspace:
www.myspace.com/Anfomerc

Track list:
1) Hevi’s Theme
2) Anti Conspiracy Militia
3) The Other Roswell Incident
4) The Spider In The Experimental Bike
5) The Human Race pt. 1
6) The Human Race pt. 2
7) Oil Is Blood
8) Speed Demon
9) F___ Y__, A______ * (a statement used in movie The Terminator)
10) Crowbar Fight
11) Coptagon
12) Citizen’s Word
13) Aluminum Legion
14) Marching Rock Band
15) Outta Gas
16) Requious Minuet
17) Going Postal
18) Anger Management
19) Our Scene Sucks
20) El Mariachi De San Antonio
21) Girls And Boys
22) I Never Felt This Way
23) I Told You
24) Free The Horses

Buy The CD:
cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll